Chianti & Chianti Classico

Chianti and Chianti Classico are not the same wine

Both are Tuscan reds built on Sangiovese, but they are separate DOCGs with separate rules.

Chianti Classico comes from the historic heart of the region, the hills between Florence and Siena. It has been its own DOCG since 1996 and its bottles carry the black rooster (Gallo Nero) seal. The wine must be at least 80% Sangiovese.

Chianti covers a much larger area around the Classico zone. It must be at least 70% Sangiovese, and the best examples come from its named sub-zones.

Both are made for the table, which is why Chianti is one of the great food wines of Italy.

Where it comes from

Chianti Classico villages and areas include Greve, Panzano, Radda, Gaiole, Castellina, Castelnuovo Berardenga and San Casciano. From the 2021 rules, Gran Selezione labels can also name one of 11 "UGA" village areas.

Chianti sub-zones include Rùfina, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini, Colline Pisane, Montalbano and Montespertoli. The sub-zone name appears on the label, as in Malenchini's Chianti Colli Fiorentini.

The Chianti producers we stock

• Antinori: Pèppoli Chianti Classico (also in half bottles), Villa Antinori Riserva, Marchese Antinori Riserva and Badia a Passignano Gran Selezione.
• Isole e Olena: a benchmark Chianti Classico, including magnums and half bottles, plus Gran Selezione from 2015 and 2016.
• Fontodi (Panzano): Chianti Classico, the Filetta di Lamole and Dino, and the Gran Selezione wines Vigna del Sorbo, Terrazze San Leolino and Pastrolo.
• Tenuta di Arceno: Chianti Classico, Riserva and the Campolupi Gran Selezione, from the south of the zone.
• Corzano e Paterno: Terre di Corzano Chianti and I Tre Borri.
• Malenchini: Chianti Colli Fiorentini.
• Babo, Terre Natuzzi, Poliziano, Montecalvi and Cantina Viticoltori Senesi Aretini: good-value Chianti, Chianti Classico, Chianti Colli Senesi and Chianti Riserva.

Annata, Riserva and Gran Selezione

Chianti Classico has three quality tiers. Each one steps up in price:

• Annata (the standard wine), $37 to $96: the everyday Chianti Classico, made to drink over its first few years.
• Riserva, $55 to $96: longer aged (at least 24 months) and usually from better parcels.
• Gran Selezione, $98 to $560: the top tier. Estate-grown fruit, at least 30 months' ageing, and from recent vintages at least 90% Sangiovese.

Chianti from the wider region starts at around $24, with Riservas from about $26 to $39. For a bigger table, Isole e Olena's Chianti Classico magnum is around $142.

Chianti label terms

• Classico: from the original, historic Chianti zone between Florence and Siena.
• Gallo Nero: the black rooster seal found on every bottle of Chianti Classico.
• Riserva: aged longer than the standard wine before release.
• Gran Selezione: the top tier of Chianti Classico, introduced in 2014.
• UGA: one of the named village areas of Chianti Classico, such as Panzano or Radda.
• Colli Fiorentini, Rùfina, etc.: sub-zones of the wider Chianti DOCG.

Explore more Tuscan wine

Browse all Tuscan red wine for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino and the Tuscan IGT blends, or see all Sangiovese, Tuscan wine and Italian wine.

Buying Chianti by the case

Chianti is a wine to keep on hand, and our customers often buy it by the six or twelve. Delivery is free over $500. Can't see the vintage or producer you're after? Ask us. We order from suppliers when you buy, so we can often source it.

Chianti FAQs

What is the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico?

Chianti Classico comes from the original, historic zone between Florence and Siena and is its own DOCG, marked with the black rooster seal. Chianti comes from a much larger surrounding area and has looser rules.

What grape is Chianti made from?

Chianti is made mainly from Sangiovese: at least 70% for Chianti and at least 80% for Chianti Classico. The rest can be other red grapes such as Canaiolo, Colorino or Merlot.

What is Chianti Classico Gran Selezione?

Gran Selezione is the top tier of Chianti Classico. It is made from a producer's own estate-grown grapes and aged for at least 30 months before release.

What food goes with Chianti?

Chianti is made for the table: tomato-based pasta, pizza, grilled meats, bistecca alla fiorentina and hard cheeses like pecorino. Its acidity cuts through rich, savoury dishes.

How long can I keep Chianti Classico?

Most Chianti Classico (annata) is best within about five years of the vintage, while good Riserva and Gran Selezione can age for ten years or more.